: The Truth is About to Be Revealed

2024-09-06 Author: Gu Zhenren

: The Truth is About to Be Revealed

"According to Li Leifeng's assessment, Ning Zhuo possesses a profound talent for mechanisms, judging that he could show exceptional promise as early as six years old."

"But in reality, Ning Zhuo remained ordinary and unremarkable until recently, when the Molten Rock Palace emerged. Only then did he reveal his talent, briefly becoming a prominent figure."

Zhu Xuanji had long collected much information about Ning Zhuo and knew his growth trajectory.

Previously, Zhu Xuanji thought Ning Zhuo had accumulated knowledge over time, building a solid foundation before finally bursting forth. After changing his cultivation path, he gradually discovered his own talent and began to shine.

But now, Li Leifeng's jade slip shattered his previous understanding.

"If Ning Zhuo could perform the 'Fang Qing Clears His Name' puppet show at the age of five, judging by his manipulation of the puppets alone, his basic skills were extremely solid!"

"Ning Zhuo underperformed due to nervousness during the Ning family's grand examination... Clearly, that was an act."

"It seems Ning Zhuo began hiding his abilities and pretending to be ordinary from a very young age."

"He concealed himself like this for over a decade, only recently choosing to reveal his brilliance."

"Why?" Zhu Xuanji felt deeply puzzled.

"Ning Zhuo, this member of the Ning family's branch line, why did he hide his abilities and pretend?"

"Throughout his long years of schooling, why did he act so average?"

"Clearly, if Ning Zhuo had shown his talent and ability, he could have received focused training from the family!"

Zhu Xuanji thought of Ning Xiaoren.

"Perhaps there are internal conflicts within the Ning family?"

"The key point is, if this kid started pretending from the age of three or four, what kind of mentality does that indicate?"

"Such scheming is far too profound!"

Thinking this, Zhu Xuanji even felt a chill rise in his heart.

"So, did Ning Zhuo deliberately hide himself for over a decade?"

"During that time, did Ning Zhuo not have even a bit of youthful vanity or impulsiveness?"

"Or... was there actually another mastermind guiding him by his side?"

Zhu Xuanji's doubts multiplied.

The more he discovered, the more questions arose in his heart.

"Ning Zhuo is problematic!" Zhu Xuanji affirmed inwardly.

He had already begun suspecting Ning Zhuo before, but he knew himself that this suspicion was baseless. He just felt there was an indescribable strangeness and unnaturalness about Ning Zhuo.

Now, Zhu Xuanji understood the reason!

"I've investigated countless cases, pursued criminals and true culprits, accumulating rich experience and developing a intuition for solving cases."

"Ning Zhuo acted very well, without any obvious flaws or unreasonable points."

"However, acting is still acting; it always differs from reality!"

Zhu Xuanji had witnessed too much truth and falsehood. Even when his理智 couldn't discern it, his heart had already sensed this strangeness and unnaturalness.

When this feeling of unnaturalness accumulated to a certain degree, Zhu Xuanji couldn't help but start suspecting Ning Zhuo.

"Ning Zhuo, you little guy, what role exactly are you playing in the struggle surrounding the Molten Rock Palace?"

Zhu Xuanji frowned deeply, looking up at the night sky.

Tonight, the moonlight was hazy, veiled by clouds.

Various pieces of intelligence, countless clues, flickered one after another in Zhu Xuanji's mind, mixing together into a massive vortex.

Zhu Xuanji stared at the clouds obscuring the moon, as if seeing the fog in his own mind.

He had a strong feeling – he was only missing the final clue.

Just like a puzzle, only the last crucial piece was missing!

As long as he found and placed that final piece, he could tear away the fog before his eyes, allowing the moon called "truth" to be fully revealed.

"So... the Records Pavilion is that final puzzle piece!" A golden light suddenly flashed in Zhu Xuanji's eyes.

An impulse rose within him to fly back to the Molten Rock Palace immediately and personally supervise Ning Xiaohui's investigation of the Records Pavilion.

"No, no, I can't do that."

Zhu Xuanji lowered his head again, pacing back and forth, lost in thought.

He was completely immersed in his own world of contemplation, forgetting everything around him.

Zhu Hou, seeing him think so deeply, couldn't help but smile, not making a sound, just watching quietly.

As a senior, seeing such an excellent junior from the royal family behave like this filled him with appreciation and gratification.

Zhu Xuanji quickly reviewed past events. From his arrival at Fire Persimmon Immortal City until now, among the various incidents he experienced, Ning Zhuo's appearances were indeed overly frequent.

"Ning Zhuo must be playing a relatively important role."

"Perhaps he is the biggest fog obscuring the truth!"

"But I can't disperse it; I lack direct evidence."

"Even if I present Li Leifeng's assessment record, Ning Zhuo would have countless explanations and excuses."

"In fact, even if he openly admitted to pretending for over a decade, what could be done?"

"Perhaps I should conduct a surprise inspection, check what he commonly uses in his storage equipment?"

"No, that approach is also wrong!"

Zhu Xuanji reasoned that Ning Zhuo was merely at the Qi Refining stage. Even if he were deeply involved with the mastermind behind the scenes, he would only be a capable pawn.

Even if Zhu Xuanji managed to pry open this pawn and see the true color it had been hiding, what then?

"It would instead startle the snake and escalate conflicts unnecessarily."

"Currently, Ning Xiaohui is one key, and Ning Zhuo is another."

Thinking this, Zhu Xuanji reached a decision.

He first wrote a secret letter to inquire about Zhu Zhen.

After Zhu Zhen terminated his investigation, he had secretly approached Zhu Xuanji, voluntarily offering to contribute more.

Zhu Xuanji then assigned him to the Molten Rock Palace, not exposing his royal identity, but having him pose as an external cultivator, diligently completing tasks and continuously earning merits.

Actually, Zhu Xuanji had another important task for Zhu Zhen – for the past several days, Zhu Zhen had been secretly responsible for protecting and monitoring Ning Xiaohui!

"Now that I'm outside the Immortal Palace, this is actually an opportunity."

Zhu Xuanji created a jade slip secret message, instructing Zhu Zhen to focus entirely on protecting Ning Xiaohui from now on!

Simultaneously, Zhu Xuanji took out a dressing mirror from his storage belt.

This mirror was exquisitely beautiful to the extreme.

The entire mirror was encircled by a lifelike golden phoenix, its wings spread embracing the mirror surface. The feathers were fine as silk, extremely delicate, as if each feather was gently trembling.

The phoenix's head was held high, its eyes like stars, exuding majesty and mystery, its beak slightly open as if murmuring ancient incantations. Its long tail蜿蜒 down, the tail feathers gracefully coiling around the lower part of the mirror frame, forming an elegant arc, adding a touch of softness and liveliness to the mirror.

The Golden Phoenix Mirror!

This was something Zhu Xuanji had taken from the Southern Bean Royal Family's treasury.

The Southern Bean Monarch had specifically told him that this Golden Phoenix Mirror originally belonged to the Molten Rock Palace but was seized by the Grand Imperial Emperor.

If handed over to the Molten Rock Palace, it would certainly earn a huge amount of merit!

Zhu Xuanji had kept this treasure mirror with him, intending to save it as a trump card for when it might be useful.

Now, he decisively took it out, deciding to secretly give it to Ning Xiaohui through Zhu Zhen. By having Ning Xiaohui submit it, she would obtain a massive amount of merit in a short time.

This way, Ning Xiaohui could instantly meet the minimum merit requirement for the Records Pavilion position.

This was the key to breaking the current deadlock!

Zhu Xuanji hadn't originally planned to pay such a heavy price. But now, after obtaining Li Leifeng's assessment record, he felt a lingering chill from Ning Zhuo.

This prompted him to make this decision.

"Ning Zhuo... he is another key, the most important witness."

"He should also be won over with full effort!"

Thinking this, Zhu Xuanji's gaze focused, and he completely returned to his senses.

He smiled somewhat apologetically at Zhu Hou.

Zhu Hou waved his hand dismissively, "Being able to help you brings me great gratification, nephew."

Zhu Xuanji said, "Uncle, I've changed my mind. I will attend your inauguration ceremony tomorrow. Also, I want to bring one more person."

Zhu Hou was curious upon hearing this: "Oh? Your intense contemplation just now was because of this person?"

Zhu Xuanji had nothing to hide from Zhu Hou and admitted directly: "Exactly. This person is called Ning Zhuo, precisely the talent recorded in Li Leifeng's assessment record."

"Although he is only a Qi Refining cultivator, now just sixteen years old, he is the most special young man I have ever encountered."

"Often, I find him unfathomable!"

Zhu Hou immediately showed a surprised expression.

He had watched the young Zhu Xuanji advance by leaps and bounds and knew very well Zhu Xuanji's talent.

This was the first time he saw Zhu Xuanji praise someone so highly! And this person was only at Qi Refining stage, only sixteen years old.

Zhu Hou became extremely curious, laughing heartily: "Hahaha, this makes me incredibly look forward to tomorrow's inauguration ceremony."

"Ning Zhuo, is it? I must take a good look and see exactly what kind of young genius can catch your eye, Zhu Xuanji!"

The next day.

"Bad news, bad news! Young master, wake up, wake up quickly!" The anxious voice of the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit woke Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo, lying on the bed, opened his eyes abruptly: "What happened? Has the Molten Rock Palace's defensive barrier been mostly shattered?"

Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit: "No, worse than that."

"This morning, Ning Xiaohui obtained a magical treasure called the Golden Phoenix Mirror and is about to offer it to the Immortal Palace!"

"The Golden Phoenix Mirror originally belonged to the Immortal Palace, paired with the Jade Dragon Mirror, specifically designed for the Mirror Platform Spirit Attunement Art."

"Now, if she submits such an important treasure, her merits will skyrocket, instantly exceeding the minimum requirement for the Records Pavilion position!"

The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit was extremely agitated.

Ning Zhuo's heart tightened instantly. He immediately sat up: "What?!"

He was about to press the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit for more details about this emergency when Ning Jiufan's voice came from outside the room: "Ning Zhuo, wake up. This old man is taking you out."

Ning Zhuo's heart sank. He quickly, wearing only his inner garments, pushed the door open and bowed to Ning Jiufan.

Ning Jiufan grabbed Ning Zhuo by the collar and flew into the sky.

On the way, he explained: "The Compassionate Garden is holding its inauguration ceremony today. Zhu Xuanji is overseeing it. Knowing you have donated to the Compassionate Garden multiple times before, he specifically invited you to attend."

"I didn't expect Lord Zhu Xuanji to think so highly of you, Xiao Zhuo. You must perform well."

"Understood?"

Ning Zhuo's heart was icy cold, but on the surface, he showed great surprise: "I have always been grateful to Lord Li Leifeng! When I was little, I stole leftover pastries meant for guests at the Compassionate Garden. Lord Li Leifeng caught me but didn't drive me away. Instead, he treated me to many meals of fresh tea and pastries."

The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit was dumbfounded.

It watched as Ning Zhuo was taken away, leaving the Molten Rock Palace. Only then did it react, instinctively stretching out its dragon claw, four fingers spread wide.

The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit looked in the direction Ning Zhuo had gone, crying out loudly: "No—!"

"Come back."

"Ning Zhuo, come back quickly!"

"Ning Xiaohui is about to enter the Records Pavilion and learn the whole truth!!"

Ning Zhuo's heart was filled with stern coldness, as if standing in a snowy field, chilled to the bone.

"Ning Xiaohui suddenly has a treasure she can submit, and at this critical moment, I am taken away from the Molten Rock Palace."

"This must be Zhu Xuanji's doing!"

"Zhu Xuanji suspects me even more deeply. Where did I slip up?"

"Could it be that Han Ming has been captured?!"

(End of )